The Channel Tunnel (le tunnel sous la Manche), also known as Chunnel or Eurotunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking the United Kingdom and France. It runs beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover, connecting Folkestone, Kent in England to Coquelles near Calais in northern France.
Ideas for a cross-Channel fixed link existed as early as 1802. In 1988 Eurotunnel began construction, with Tunnel Boring Machines working from both the UK and France. By 1994 the tunnel commenced operating its through-rail passenger services that link London to Paris and Brussels, through-rail freight services and vehicle shuttle services. The project's cost overran by 80%. Concessionaire Eurotunnel overestimated tunnel traffic and has met financial difficulty.
In 1996 a fire disrupted operation of the tunnel. In 1996 the American Society of Civil Engineers selected the tunnel to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
